Mike Whitfield, Managing Director of Nissan South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa has been appointed as the Managing director of Nissan Motor Egypt (NMEG) effective June 20th. He will be based in Cairo and will also serve as chairman of Nissan in Africa South.
He joined Nissan in 1981 as a marketing trainee. He has served as the president of National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) and vice president of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) since 2008. Under his reign, Nissan posted and recorded the highest market share in South Africa of over 10% in its last financial year.
Whitfield has been an invaluable asset to Nissan. He has held very senior positions in the company since 2008, and Africa being seen as the last frontier for global automakers with a growing middle class and increasing demand, his appointment will be able to drive sustainable growth across the continent.
“Nissan has a plan for rapid and sustainable growth in Africa. We were the first to assemble cars in Nigeria and our ambition is to lead the way in developing automotive manufacturing on the continent. The appointments announced today will drive performance in key African markets. Mike and Shinkichi both have the extensive market knowledge and diverse experience within the auto industry. They will bring clear leadership and a strong customer focus to deliver growth and business performance,” said Peyman Kargar Chairman of Nissan’s Africa, Middle East, and India region.
His position will be filled by Shinkichi Izumi who will be the new managing director for Nissan South Africa. Shinkichi joined Nissan in 2001 and has held various roles in Sales, Marketing and Corporate Planning. Before he was appointed deputy managing director in 2018, he was based in Nissan’s Japanese headquarters working within Nissan’s Asia and Oceania region. He also has experience within the global Datsun function.